Morning Witches, Just thought I'd stop in and post some stuff we can do as most of us are snowed in at home and work has been canceled. Hope you don't mind i thought I would post some of the things I like to do to keep busy and try to enjoy with winter months, lets face it if we had to sit at home with nothing to do we would hate winter. It's too cold, too wet, and way too slippery. Right now we have about.....4 inches of snow It is -1 degrees outside we have a winter weather advisory and a wind chill advisory it is very very cold. Cernunnos ( my black male cat ) is not very happy with the fact he isn't allowed to go outside and it is cold, so he is spending his time yelling and growling lol very unhappy kitty. Meanwhile, Midnight, Set, Bastet, and Loki are curled up on the bed sound asleep to the sounds of a crackling fire. So let's talk about some Witchy things we can do to amuse ourselves and keep us in happy spirits with winter. One thing I like to do when I am not adding stuff to the store is to make a simmering pot, this is always fun for me to do and it makes the house smell good as with doing spells or magickal working setting the mood I find helps me stay in the good spirits and also helps me concentrate on anything I do. there are a hundred different ways to make a simmering pot and just as many things you can put in one. First, let's talk about the kind of water I have several kinds I like to use, and with this being winter YES snow is one you can use ( though if you want to drink it that's iffy and depends on where you got the snow from so if you want to drink it be mindful where you got it otherwise don't drink it ).
Snow water: Because autumn is the death phase of the sun cycle, the season that comes next represents rebirth. Use melted winter snow in spells and rituals for new beginnings and transformation.
Rainwater: You can collect this easily by setting a large bowl outside in a rain shower! This is kind of your all-purpose magickal water, great for cleansing, protecting, and growth, especially when used in spells you want to grow stronger over time.
Stormwater: Water from a violent thunderstorm carries a lot stronger power than water collected from a light downpour, and the potency varies depending on the strength of the storm, so use your intuition with this one. Use it to boost any spell working.
River water: If you are doing a spell to help you release something or make a positive change in your life, river water is a great choice. Notice the way it moves rapidly, never stagnant.
Dew water: Collecting dew is often a practice in faery magick and glamour magick. Though you won’t get the entire amount of water you need by collecting a few drops, you can add it to moon or sun water for use in love spells or fertility spells.
Ice water: If you have icicles hanging from your roof after the last snowstorm, you can collect the water that drips from them to use in your spells. Like snow, you can use this water for transformation, and also things related to creativity and purification.
These are the kinds I like to use again be mindful of where and how you got the water if you're going to turn the simmering pot into tea and be drinking it. Dont want anyone coming down sick. However, there are other waters you can use if you do not plan on drinking this and have other intentions for your simmering pot down below are more .....PLEASE DON'T DRINK THE ONES LISTED NEXT.
Seawater: Collect seawater to use in healing work and blessing rituals. The natural sea salt in the water adds properties of cleansing and protection.
Lake water: Do you feel peaceful when looking out over a lake? Lake water is great for spells and rituals to promote peace and contentment.
Swamp water: This muddy, murky water is generally used for cursing, crossing, and revenge work. It can also be used for more aggressive banishing and binding spells.
Harbor Water: If you live near a port or harbor, collecting this water can be used in abundance and prosperity spells. Historically, this is the way goods were transported making this water essential to making money and well-being.
Next, are herbs that you can add to your simmering pot :
Apple:
Also called “Fruit of the Gods,” apples correspond with many gods and goddesses associated with immortality. They are closely related to the underworld and the dead, and when cut crosswise, the seeds show a pentacle. They are often used for protection, especially considering that those seeds contain poison.
Chamomile:
While this tiny white flower with a name meaning “ground apple” can be used for protection, Chamomile is more often used for purification, good luck, prosperity, and relaxation. To this day, it is one of the most popular herbs to use for a restful sleep.
Cinnamon:
A spice of many purposes, use Cinnamon for prosperity, protection, love and lust, and healing and psychic powers. It is a great choice for a spell that needs speed and ambition and raises the vibration.
Clove:
Often considered to offer the most aggressive protection, cloves are a very powerful and active defense, driving away negativity and attracting positivity. They can stop people from gossiping and spreading rumors about you. Use cloves if you want to actively attack negative energy coming from the outside of your protective field.
Cranberries: Cranberries are tied to both fire and water due to their color and the way they're harvested. They represent abundance, energy, healing, love, protection, emotions, communication, courage, action, and rejuvenation.
Lavender:
We all know lavender for its calming powers, but it is also an essential ingredient in love spells and purification rituals since the name means “to wash.” Its aroma alone relaxes the nervous system, so add this to your simmer pot if you need a dose of peace.
Lemon Balm:
As the name suggests, lemon balm is a balm to the soul. The scent is uplifting with soothing and healing powers. Lemon balm attracts romantic love and loyal friendships.
Lemongrass:
With its bright and uplifting scent, lemongrass is a dual-action herb that purifies and protects. It is perfect for anything that is infused into the water for washes of any kind, including simmer pots for cleansing and purifying the air!
Orange:
Citrus evokes a warm sunny feeling and lifts the mood. The scent fills us with hope and positivity, a reason why oranges are such a beloved fruit during the dark days of winter.
Rosemary:
Historically considered a woman’s herb, rosemary brings peace and protection to the home, which was the women’s domain. A pot of rosemary in the window indicated a woman was in charge of this household! Medicinally, it is associated with improving focus and memory and can strengthen dream recall and protect from nightmares if simmered before sleeping.
Vanilla Bean
A wonderful addition as the base of a simmer pot aroma blend, vanilla has other powers besides making everything smell amazing. Vanilla is a popular choice for attracting love and lust and sweetening someone’s feelings about you. It restores energy, passion, and vitality, and makes one’s mind sharper.
Now that you’ve chosen your water and plants to match your intention, fill the pot a little over halfway with the water and put it over medium heat so that it simmers but does not come to a boil. Stir your ingredients into the water clockwise if your intention is to attract something, or counterclockwise if your intention is banishing. Below I have included some sample plant combinations for ideas. You can use fresh or dried, depending on what you have on hand. Allow your water to simmer until only a bit of water is left in the bottom of the pot. There are several different combinations you can use to do your simmering pot. Nit Pick and come up with some of your own ways to do it, here is a list that will help you start.
Calming: lavender, rosemary, chamomile flowers
Focus: orange slices, rosemary, vanilla bean
Love: lemon balm, lavender, chamomile flowers
Prosperity: cinnamon sticks, chamomile flowers, vanilla bean
Protection: apple slices, cinnamon sticks, clove buds
Purification: lavender, lemongrass, rosemary
Uplifting: orange slices, lemon balm, lemongrass
CANDLES:
Now that we have the simmering pot going..what next? Let's make some candles i love making candles it's relaxing and enjoyable. I love making things for the season we are in so for winter I would make pine, peppermint, cedar, fireside, wintergreen, and so on, we will also charge them and anoint them for a specific purpose. I always add a crystal to my candles for an extra boost of energy. When I anoint my candles it's done with oils and herbs together that have been charged and then take a crystal that has been charged by the full moon and add it to the candle. While I make the candle I focus my intent on the candle for the purpose I need. I have several different kinds of wax I like to use ......ok so there are only 3 kinds I use one being Paraffin wax and the other being Palm wax and Beeswax. Beewax I like using it for some ritual spells and summoning spells, Paraffin wax ritual and summoning, and candle magick the Palm wax I use for summoning spells for the gods and goddesses and ancestors.
Winter spells
If you can brave the cold and want to go outside to gather snow or ice Winter spells are another thing you can do ( as long as it's not -any number outside and you don't have to drive to gather up the ingredients for your winter spell ) I live way out in the woods so to gather up ingredients from nature would be easy. ( looked outside ....I'm not going out there lol).
One of the winder spells you can do is, if you have a fireplace or a wood stove you can do fire magick. Build yourself a fire in the fireplace and or wood stove ( sometimes I like to add the stuff that changes your flames to different colors I can't remember what it is called but you can find it on Amazon and even Walmart carried it in the camping section it's a fun and cool way to add a little magick to your fire, If doing this with children make sure they stay safe around the fire). Once you have your fire built, you can write your winter intentions on a piece of paper or a bay leaf focus on your intent, and place the bay leaf in the fire. Another is Fire gazing as you would with a crystal ball or Mirror or even water fire gazing works the same way. Here are some winter spells out of my BOS I don't mind sharing that you can do:
Snow can be used in many magical ways, this time of year! If you do not have snow in your
area you can use different waters Snow water can be used
for cleansing, purification, peace, healing, new beginnings, balance, protection, and many more.
I suggested to use it all around the house to remove negative energy and to bring some new fresh
energy to any difficult areas.
~Make a snowball of any lingering negative energy or emotions and literally
throw it away!
~Place a bowl of snow on your altar and use it as a cleansing agent before your work or place items
in it to be cleansed and purified.
~Make a snowman with the intention of protecting your home, you can place protective symbols
around that you can create from natural elements.
~Melt some snow and put it in a spray bottle, walk around your home, and spray the snow water in any area
you would like dark, stagnant energies to go away, call on the snow god and goddess to help with this, you
will feel the difference.
I hope this will help case away them winter blues and add some fun to. Be sure to check out the store for any needed supplies.
Comments
i love adding cranberries to mine
Yes whole cranberries cinnamon some lemon and oranges little rosemary